Sifter for flour, etc.



June 2, 1931. O. N. Mcco vflck 1,808,426

SIFTER FOR FLOUR, ETC

Filed Oct. 50, 1930 I sembled and taken apart.

Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ORA N. mcoonmrox, or ALBANY, INDIANA, AssIeNon TO MCCORMICK BROTHER-scon- PANY, on LBANY, INDIANA, A coRPonA'rro oF INDIANA SIFTER FOR. FLOUR, ETC.

Application filed October 30, 1930. Serial No. 492,322. I

r This invention relates to flour sifters.- The purpose of the invention is to provide a sifter in which the mechanism for oscillating and vibrating the 'sifter basket is simple and inexpensive to construct and can readily be as The details of the invention will be clear from the accompanying drawings, in which,

1 Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through 10 the sifter and part of a flour bin;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the sifter, the casing being shown in horizontal sec- .15 tion; and,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the cam and tappet member.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the sifter, which is shown in Fig. 1 attached 20 to the flour bin 6. The casing 1 of the sifter is in the form of a hopper, circular incrosswhich may be closed by a cap, not shown. Within the casing is a transverse supporting bar 3, the ends 3a of which. are overturned and riveted to the casing. The bar lies at one side of the vertical axis of the casing,.

and to it are secured two spaced arms and d, of inverted U-form, each of which extends laterally across said axis and has a clownwardly turned end portion on the opposite side of said axis from the supporting bar. Thus, the arm 0 extends upwardly from the bar and has a laterally extending centralportion 4 and a depending end portion 5 while the arm (Z, which is within the arm a,

from the part 4, and a depending end portion 7 parallel with and spaced from the part 5.

The parts 4 and 6 of the arm are perforated and form bearings for a pivot pin 8 which is rigidly secured to a circular sifter basket e, at its center. The bar and the end portions of the arms are perforated horizontally and form bearings for a horizontal shaft 7 which extends across the vertical axis of the basket and projects through the casing and which is bent to form a crank arm 9, by which it may be turned by hand.

The inner end of the shaft is threaded as shown at 10, and where, as usual, the a crank is to be turned in the clock-wise dlrection, this will be a right-hand thread.

A cam wheel 9, having a plurality of. equally spaced points 11, and commonly known. as a star wheel, 1s arranged between the depending ends 5 and 7 of the arms '0 and (Land isthreaded on to the shaft f. The edge of the wheel, between successive points, is curved inwardly, as shown" it as'far as the threads go on the rod, when the wheel looks with theshaft so asto turn with it. 'To remove'the wheel'it will beheld stationary. by handand' the. shaft will be turned to unscrew it from the wheel;.-..

The sifter basket comprises a sheet'metal support 13, towhich -the pivot pin '8 'is sesection and havlng a cyllndrlcal outlet 2.

A part integral with the support .13; projects downwardly fromsaid support parallel with theend 5 ofthe U-shaped arm c,"-and .this part l5, which may be called a tappet member, has a transverse'slot, 16, through which the end of the shaft 7 extends, and it also has curved flanges 17, at itsedges, opposite said'slot. These flanges lie onopposite sides of the shaft and star" wheel and are adapted to. be engaged alternatelyby the points on the latter when the shaft is rotated.

The inwardcurvature of the flangescorrehas a laterally extending portion 6, spaced sponds approximately with" the curvature of'the concave surfaces 12 on the star. wheel.

the slot 16 is flanged outwardly, as shown at 16a, so that a smooth wearing surface will be presented to the threaded portion porting means so that if the sifter islin- 'verted the basket will not'drop out of the casing. I If it is desired to remove the basket,

the operator will insert his fi ger-throngh through the slot 16 and this locks the 'basketto'the sup- -Preferably, the metal along the edges of the bottom of the casing and hold the star I ,wheel stationary while the shaft is turned backwardly far enough to withdraw the inner end of the shaft from the slot 16, when the basket will freely drop out of the casing. If it is desired to remove the star wheel the backward movement of the shaft will be continued until its threaded end has been withdrawn from the star wheel. In normal operation, the star. wheehguided between the ends 5 and 7 of the supporting arms, prevents undue endwise movement, of the shaft.

In operating the sifter, the crank is turned in the clock-wise direction. and the points on the star wheel, which are preferably five in number, engagethe flanges 17 on the tap- 1. Ina sifter, a casing, a support therein having two spacedvertlcally arranged parts at one side of the vertical axis of the casing,

a horizontally arranged shaft having a threaded end extending through said parts, a

star wheel between said parts and threaded on to said shaft, a sifter baskethavinga central depending pin journaled in said support,

on the shaft between said ends, a sifter basket, above said support, having a central pivot pin journaled in the laterally extending parts of said arms, and a tappet member depending from the basket adjacent said ends and having abutments at opposite sides of the shaft adapted to be engaged by the points on the star wheel. 7

4. In a sifter, a casing, a support therein comprising a cross-bar at one side of the vertical axis of the casing and two spaced arms projecting laterally from said bar across said axis and having depending ends at the opposite side of said axis, a shaft extending through said bar and ends, a star wheel on the shaft between said ends, a sifter basket, above said support, having a central pivot pin j ournaled in the laterally extending parts of said arms, and a sheetmetal ,ta-ppet member depending from the basket parallel with said ends, said member havingatransverse slot through which said shaft extends and having abutments at its side edges adapted to be engaged by the points on the star wheel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ORA N. MCCORMICK.

and a tappetmember depending from the basket and having a transverse slot into which the end ofthe shaft extends .and having also flanges at opposite sides of the shaft adapted to be engaged by the points on the star wheel.

\ 2. In a sifter,'a casing, a support therein having two spaced'fvertically arranged parts atone side of the vertical axis of the casing,

a horizontally arranged. shaft having a threaded end: extending through said parts, a star wheel between said parts and threaded on to said shaft, said wheel having its edge concave between its successive points, a

sifter basket pivoted in said supportiand havmg .a rim and a sheet metal cross-piece connected to said rim, a tappet member integral with said cross-piece and depending adjacent said spaced'parts, said member having flanges, at opposite sldes of theshaft, convexly curved toward the star wheel and adaptto be engaged alternatelyby its points. g

3. In a sifter, a casing, a support therein comprising a Crossbar at one side of the vertical axis-of the casing andtwo spaced arms projecting laterally from. said bar across said-axis and having depending ends at the opposite sides of said axis, a shaftextending through saidbar and ends, a star wheel 

